Apple Taste Testing

In March, we were getting together for potluck dinner with friends. Inspired by my recent reads about how the French savor food and also due to the fact that it was Lent (making a true dessert a less appropriate choice), I offered to bring several different types of apples for after the meal for a taste tasting.

I bought two each of 13 different types of apples, slicing one of each pair, leaving the other for a reference for outward appearance.

The apples on the chopping block were:
1) Ambrosia
2) Braeburn
3) Cameo
4) Fuji
5) Gala
6) Golden Delicious
7) Granny Smith
8) Honey Crisp
9) Jazz
10) Pacific Rose
11) Piñata
12) Pink Lady
13) Red Delicious

I made scorecards. The apples were all judged on:
A) Outside appearance
B) Inside appearance
C) Aroma
D) Texture
E) Juiciness
F) Flavor

They were then given raw scores for visual + olfactory (A+B+C) and taste (D+E+F). Finally, their total scores were calculated.

Pediatrician that I am, I also made scorecards for the kids participating, using the Wong Baker faces pain rating scale.

0. I would rather be spanked than eat this vile specimen.

1. I would have to be force fed to gag this down.

2. I would eat this only if really famished.

3. I would eat this without complaint at a meal.

4. I would request this for a snack!

5. I would rather eat this than candy!

We then had at it. The taste testing took up a good chunk of the evening.

After much deliberation and tallying, a winner emerged...

Honey Crisp!

(There was a lot more interesting data gathered about the apples that night... but I sadly seem to have misplaced it :-/ If I find it, I'll update this post!)

It was really, really fun. We are blessed to have friends nerdy enough to agree ;-)